Concerns have been raised over alleged overuse of CT scanning and inappropriate selection of scanning methods, all of which expose patients to unnecessary radiation. Thus, it is important to identify clinical situations in which techniques with lower radiation dose such as plain radiography or no radiation such as MRI and occasionally ultrasonography can be chosen over CT scanning. This article proposes the arguments for radiation dose reduction in CT scanning of the chest and discusses recommended practices and studies that address means of reducing radiation exposure associated with CT scanning of the chest.
Human ; *Practice Guidelines ; Radiation Dosage ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*adverse effects/*methods

PURPOSE: Chest irradiation leads to a significant cardiac injury in a number of patients. To prevent, or to reduce the risk of radiation-induced cardiac injury, pentosifylline(PTX), a haemorrheologic agent that improves the blood flow through small blood capillaries has been employed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and eighty ICR mice were divided into three study groups : control, radiation alone, and radiation-pentoxifylline. Each group was subdivided into 12 subgroups: 1,3,6 and 10 days and 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks y observation period after irradiation. The total 15 Gy of radiation was delivered in a single fraction ghrough anterior mediastinal port. Pentoxifylline was injected subcutaneously daily 50mg/k to the back of the mice from the first day of irradiation throughout the observation period. The mice of each group after a certain observation period were sacrificed and sectioned for histopathologic examination of the heart. RESULTS: he findings of acute radiation-induced carditis i.e., heterohpilic infiltration and vacuolization and ballooning of endotherlial cells were onserved upto weeks and reduced sharply afterwards. The late radiation effects including pericarditis with mononuclear cell infiltration, pericardial fibrosis, endothelial cell changes, myocardial degenerationa dn fibrosis present from 4 weeks onwards after irradiation but with various degree of severity. The overall process of pathologic changes of radiation-pentoxify-acute stage was relatively short and the severity of late cardiac toxicity was much lesser compared with those of radiation alone group. CONCLUSION: Pentoxifyllline can effectively reduce the late radiation-induced cardiac injury and resolve the acute effects relatively rapidly.
Animals ; Capillaries ; Endothelial Cells ; Fibrosis ; Heart ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR* ; Myocarditis ; Pentoxifylline* ; Pericarditis ; Radiation Effects ; Thorax

The aim of our study was to describe the radiologic findings of extensive acute lung injury associated with limited thoracic irradiation. Limited thoracic irradiation occasionally results in acute lung injury. In this condition, chest radiograph shows diffuse ground-glass appearance in both lungs and thin-section CT scans show diffuse bilateral ground-glass attenuation with traction bronchiectasis, interlobular septal thickening and intralobular smooth linear opacities.
Acute Disease ; Adenocarcinoma/radiotherapy ; Adenocarcinoma/pathology ; Adenocarcinoma/drug therapy ; Adenocarcinoma/complications* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/radiotherapy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/complications* ; Journal Article ; Human ; Lung/radiation effects* ; Lung/pathology ; Lung Neoplasms/radiotherapy ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy ; Lung Neoplasms/complications* ; Male ; Middle Age ; Radiation Injuries/radiography ; Radiation Injuries/pathology ; Radiation Injuries/etiology* ; Thorax/radiation effects

To evaluate radiation effect on the hematopoietic system, we analyzed 44 patients who were treated with conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (RT) at Chonbuk National University Hospital. According to the treatment sites, we classified them into three groups: group I as head and neck, group II as thorax, and group III as pelvis. White blood cell, lymphocyte, platelet and hemoglobin were checked before and during RT The results were as follow; 1. White blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte count were declined from the first week of RT to the third week, and then slightly recovered after the third or fourth week. There was prominent decrease in lymphocyte counts than WBC. 2. Platelet counts were declined until the second week of the RT, showed slight recovery at fourth week in all groups. Hemoglobin values were slightly decreased in the first week and then recovered the level of pretreatment value, gradually. 3. Lymphocyte count were declined significantly on group III(p<0.01), WBC and platelet counts were decreased on group II but statistically not significant.
Blood Cells* ; Blood Platelets ; Head ; Hematopoietic System ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Leukocytes ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocytes ; Neck ; Pelvis ; Platelet Count ; Radiation Effects* ; Thorax

OBJECTIVETo observe the hemodynamic changes and liver and kidney function variations in pregnant rats with pre-eclampsia after treatment with low-energy laser irradiation.

METHODSForty pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into the experimental group (group A), experimental control group (group B), blank control group (group C) and blank exposure group (group D) (n=10). The rats in groups A and B were injected with 1 µg/kg endotoxin via the tail vein at the 14th day of gestation, and those in groups C and D received normal saline injections. In groups A and B, low-energy laser irradiation of the chest was carried out since day 16 of gestation. Blood pressure, urine protein, liver and kidney function and the hemodynamic changes in the rats were observed.

RESULTSAfter the treatment, blood pressure, urine protein, ALT, BUN and Cr of group A were lower than those of group B (P<0.05), but similar with those in groups C and D (P>0.05). The blood and plasma viscosity and hematocrit of group A were also lower than those of group B (P<0.01), but comparable with those in groups C and D.

CONCLUSIONLow-energy laser irradiation in the chest area may improve the hemodynamic indices, decrease blood pressure and urine protein, and ameliorate liver and kidney functions in pregnant rats with pre-eclampsia.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Kidney ; physiology ; Lasers ; Liver ; physiology ; Pre-Eclampsia ; blood ; therapy ; Pregnancy ; Proteinuria ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thorax ; radiation effects